Press Release
April 3, 2008

Use P5 B-subsidy to stop black bugs infestation, Villar urges

Senate President Manny Villar today urged the executive department to set aside a portion of the P5 billion farmer's subsidy to mitigate infestation of rice black bugs (RBB) in farm lands.

Villar said he was surprised to learn that RBB remains a problem in rice farms in the country. He recalled that when he visited Albuera and Ormoc, Leyte in 2001 in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, farmers are already complaining about this problem.

"According to reports, in the past two years, vast rice farms, in particular the Municipality of Dinapique in Isabela, several municipalities in Iloilo, and some towns in the province of Sorsogon are attacked by the RBB. This is one of the reasons why our farmers have poor production yield," Villar said.

Villar, who is also president of the Nacionalista Party, cited the latest study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCCARD), stating that RBB causes 15-23 percent yield loss in rice.

Villar noted the RBB attacks rice strains and yams and kills the plants by infesting the base of stems and draining them of saps, resulting in the weakening of the plants and eventual death.

"The agriculture department should have an active role in RBB mitigation, which requires funding and technical expertise," Villar said.

He noted that among the management approaches for RBB are light trapping and the use of bio-control agent Metarizhium.

Villar filed a resolution in the Senate urging the Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct an immediate study in aid of legislation into the spread of RBB that has been destroying the productivity of the country's rice farms.

"The study will help us assess government expenditures on pesticides and fertilizer, assistance to farmers, adoption of short and long-term solutions on pests and infestations and the enactment of policy measures to address the problem," he said.

The Senate President urged the executive department to set aside a portion of the P5 billion farmer's subsidy to bring down the cost of farm inputs for Filipino farmers.

"Our agriculture officials should look into the possibility of subsidizing the cost of farm inputs such as pesticides, fertilizers and palay seeds to provide immediate relief to farmers," Villar said.

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